NEET PG · MCC + KEA · 2026 Guide

MD MS Counselling Process Karnataka

How MD/MS admission works in Karnataka from NEET PG result to joining: MCC and KEA registration, fees and deposits, choice filling, the four counselling rounds and their exit rules, the Karnataka service bond, 371(J) reservation and the documents you need.

Doctors preparing for MD MS counselling in Karnataka
NEET PG · MCC · KEA
Key rule Free exit only in MCC Round 1.

From Round 2, not reporting to an allotted MCC seat forfeits your security deposit.

2Counselling bodies: MCC + KEA
4Rounds: R1, R2, Mop-up / R3, Stray
₹2 lakhMCC deemed-university deposit
1 yearKarnataka compulsory service after PG
Quick Answer

MD MS counselling in Karnataka, in six steps

01

Qualify NEET PG: Score at or above the NBEMS qualifying percentile for your category. NEET PG has 180 questions; +4 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong one.

02

Register with MCC and KEA: MCC for All India Quota, central and deemed seats; KEA for Karnataka government, private, NRI and other seats. Pay each authority’s fee and deposit.

03

Verify documents: Complete KEA document verification for your category and eligibility; keep MCC documents ready for reporting.

04

Fill and lock choices: Enter college–branch choices in your true order of preference and lock them before the deadline.

05

Check allotment and decide: Read the round’s exit, upgrade and forfeiture rules before you join, exit or opt for upgradation.

06

Pay and report: Pay the fee, submit originals and report physically at the allotted college within the notified window.

Two parallel tracks

MCC vs KEA — which seats each one fills

MCC and KEA run separately, often at the same time. Most eligible Karnataka candidates register for both and plan one combined choice strategy.

MCC

All India Counselling

  • All India Quota: 50% of seats in government medical colleges, including BMCRI and other Karnataka government colleges.
  • All deemed university seats, plus central institutions and ESIC / AFMS seats notified by MCC.
  • Open to candidates from every state.
  • Registration ₹1,000 (UR/EWS) or ₹500 (SC/ST/OBC/PwD); deemed universities ₹5,000.
  • Refundable deposit ₹25,000 / ₹10,000; deemed universities ₹2,00,000.
Official MCC PG portal →
KEA

Karnataka State Counselling

  • Karnataka government-quota seats in government and private colleges (state share).
  • Private seats in private colleges, NRI seats and other (management / institutional) seats.
  • Karnataka reservation: SC, ST, Category-1, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 371(J) and others.
  • Registration ₹750 to ₹1,500 for Karnataka candidates, ₹4,000 for other states, ₹7,000 for NRI / OCI / PIO.
  • Other-state candidates can apply for non-reserved seats but not Karnataka government quota.
Official KEA portal →
Why candidates track both

A seat taken in one counselling affects your options in the other. Keep one calendar for registration, choice locking, results, payment and reporting on both portals.

Fees & deposits

Counselling fees for MCC and KEA

Registration fees and security deposits from the 2025-26 cycle. The 2026 notifications may revise them.

MCC NEET PG counselling

MCC NEET PG counselling registration fee and security deposit, 2025
Seat Type / CategoryRegistrationDeposit (Refundable)
All India Quota / central seats — UR, EWS₹1,000₹25,000
All India Quota / central seats — SC, ST, OBC, PwD₹500₹10,000
Deemed universities — all categories₹5,000₹2,00,000

KEA PG counselling (Karnataka)

KEA PG medical counselling registration fee by category, 2025
CategoryRegistration Fee
SC, ST, Category-1 and PwD (Karnataka)₹750
General, 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B (Karnataka)₹1,500
Non-Karnataka candidates₹4,000
NRI, OCI, PIO and foreign nationals₹7,000

MCC: the deemed-university deposit also covers All India Quota and DNB choices in the same round. UPI is allowed only for payments below ₹1 lakh. College tuition is separate — see MD/MS fees in Karnataka.

Step by step

How MD MS counselling works from result to joining

The same six steps apply to MCC and KEA, but each authority has its own portal, dates and rules.

01

Qualify NEET PG

Score at or above the NBEMS qualifying percentile for your category. NEET PG has 180 questions; +4 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong one.

Eligibility
02

Register with MCC and KEA

MCC for All India Quota, central and deemed seats; KEA for Karnataka government, private, NRI and other seats. Pay each authority’s fee and deposit.

Registration
03

Verify documents

Complete KEA document verification for your category and eligibility; keep MCC documents ready for reporting.

Verification
04

Fill and lock choices

Enter college–branch choices in your true order of preference and lock them before the deadline.

Choice filling
05

Check allotment and decide

Read the round’s exit, upgrade and forfeiture rules before you join, exit or opt for upgradation.

Allotment
06

Pay and report

Pay the fee, submit originals and report physically at the allotted college within the notified window.

Joining
Round-by-round rules

What each round means for your seat and deposit

Exit and forfeiture rules get stricter every round. This is the most expensive part of counselling to get wrong.

MCC and KEA PG counselling rounds and exit rules
RoundMCC (All India)KEA (Karnataka)What to Do
Round 1Free exit allowed: you can leave the seat without losing the security deposit and still take part in Round 2.First round of online seat allotment on rank and options entered.Decide whether to join, or exit and try for an upgrade.
Round 2No free exit. If you are allotted a seat and do not report, the deposit is forfeited and you must pay again for Round 3.Second round of allotment for remaining and newly added seats.Treat a Round 2 allotment as a real commitment.
Round 3 / Mop-upNot joining an allotted seat means exit with forfeiture and no entry to further rounds.Mop-up round, subject to seat availability.Only list seats you will actually join.
Stray vacancyNot joining forfeits the deposit and can debar you from the next year’s NEET PG.Stray vacancy round, subject to seat availability.Very short reporting windows; strictest penalties.

MCC rules as summarised from the MCC NEET PG information bulletin; KEA rounds from the KEA PG 2025 notice. KEA allots General Merit (GM) seats first, then Kalyana Karnataka GM (GMH), then other categories in the prescribed order. Always read the current round notification before joining or exiting.

KEA PG 20254 – 15 October 2025

Registration and fee payment (deadline extended from 9 October).

MCC PG 2025 · Round 315 – 26 January 2026

Registration and choice filling; result on 29 January 2026.

MCC PG 2025 · Round 330 Jan – 6 Feb 2026

Reporting at the allotted college.

Dates from the 2025-26 cycle, shown to illustrate the pattern. Use the official 2026 MCC and KEA schedules for this year’s dates — see Karnataka NEET PG cutoff for last year’s closing ranks.

Service bond & penalties

Karnataka PG service bond — read before you join

Rules from the KEA PG 2025 e-Information Bulletin, under the Karnataka Compulsory Service Training Act, 2012 (as amended).

What the Karnataka bond means for you

  • One year of compulsory service in a government hospital after completing the PG course — for government, private and deemed college seats under government, private, NRI or management quota.
  • Penalty: ₹50 lakh for a PG degree (MD/MS) and ₹25 lakh for a PG diploma if you do not serve.
  • Government seats (including All India Quota): you may be required to serve a minimum of three years if the government desires.
  • In-service candidates: a minimum of ten years of government service.
  • Exemption: candidates who completed compulsory rural service after MBBS are excluded from the one-year bond.
  • Until you serve: only temporary registration is given, and the institute holds your original documents until service is completed or the penalty is paid.
Documents checklist

Documents for verification and reporting

Carry originals and two sets of photocopies. Colleges may ask for a few extra forms at reporting.

✓ NEET PG admit card
✓ NEET PG scorecard / rank card
✓ MBBS marks cards (all years)
✓ MBBS degree or provisional certificate
✓ Internship completion certificate
✓ NMC / State Medical Council registration
✓ Date-of-birth proof (SSLC / Class 10)
✓ Aadhaar or other photo ID
✓ Passport-size photographs
✓ Caste / category certificate (if claimed)
✓ Kalyana Karnataka 371(J) certificate (if claimed)
✓ Disability certificate (if claimed)
✓ Rural service / in-service certificate (if applicable)
✓ Counselling allotment letter
✓ Fee payment receipt
Merit and ties

Same NEET PG score? How the tie is broken

Order from the NEET PG 2026 information bulletin. NEET PG has 180 questions in five sections (A–E); +4 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong one.

  1. Fewer negative (wrong) responses in the whole paper.
  2. Then fewer negative responses in Section A, then B, C, D and E, in that order.
  3. Then a higher aggregate percentage across all MBBS professional examinations (FMGE percentage for eligible foreign-graduate candidates).
  4. If still tied, the older candidate (by date of birth) ranks higher.
Medical college campus in Karnataka
Kalyana Karnataka reservation

Article 371(J) — who qualifies and how it works

Article 371(J) gives local candidates from the Kalyana Karnataka region — Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari and Vijayanagara districts — reserved seats in Karnataka counselling. In KEA PG allotment, the system checks General Merit (GM) seats first and then the Kalyana Karnataka General Merit (GMH) quota before other categories.

✓Get the 371(J) eligibility certificate from the competent authority before KEA verification.
✓Claim it correctly in your KEA application — it cannot be added later.
✓GMH ranks often close later than GM — compare both in the cutoff list.
✓Check the current KEA bulletin for the seat share and certificate format.
Avoid these mistakes

Five counselling mistakes that cost seats and money

01

Not locking choices

Unlocked MCC choices may not be considered for allotment. Lock and save proof before the deadline.

02

Ignoring Round 2 forfeiture

From MCC Round 2, not reporting to an allotted seat forfeits your deposit — up to ₹2 lakh for deemed universities.

03

Skipping a portal

Registering only for MCC or only for KEA halves your options. Most Karnataka candidates need both.

04

Forgetting the bond

The Karnataka bond carries a ₹50 lakh penalty for MD/MS. Plan for the service year before you join.

05 · Filling choices by prediction, not preference

List colleges in the order you genuinely want them. Allotment always gives you the highest choice your rank reaches, so a wrong order can lock you into a worse seat.

Frequently Asked Questions

MD MS Counselling FAQs

Do I need to register for both MCC and KEA counselling?

Register for both if you are eligible. MCC fills All India Quota seats (50% of government college seats), central institutions and all deemed university seats; KEA fills Karnataka government-quota, private, NRI and other seats. They are separate registrations with separate fees, deadlines and rules.

What is the MCC registration fee and security deposit for NEET PG counselling?

In MCC NEET PG 2025 counselling, All India Quota registration was ₹1,000 (UR/EWS) or ₹500 (SC/ST/OBC/PwD), with a refundable security deposit of ₹25,000 or ₹10,000. Deemed universities needed ₹5,000 registration and a ₹2,00,000 refundable deposit for all categories.

What is the KEA PG counselling registration fee?

For KEA PG 2025, the fee was ₹750 for SC, ST, Category-1 and PwD candidates, ₹1,500 for General, 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B candidates, ₹4,000 for non-Karnataka candidates and ₹7,000 for NRI, OCI, PIO and foreign nationals.

How many rounds are there in KEA PG counselling?

KEA PG 2025 ran a first round, a second round, a mop-up round and a stray vacancy round, the last two subject to seat availability.

Can I exit an MCC seat after Round 1 or Round 2?

Round 1 allows free exit without losing the security deposit. From Round 2, not reporting to an allotted seat forfeits the deposit; not joining a Round 3 seat ends further participation, and not joining a stray vacancy seat can debar you from the next NEET PG. Check the current MCC bulletin before acting.

Is there a service bond for MD/MS in Karnataka?

Yes. Under the KEA PG 2025 bulletin, PG candidates must complete one year of compulsory government service after the course, with a penalty of ₹50 lakh for a PG degree and ₹25 lakh for a PG diploma. Government-seat candidates (including All India Quota) may be required to serve three years, and in-service candidates ten years.

Can other-state candidates take part in Karnataka KEA PG counselling?

Yes, for seats open to them. Non-Karnataka candidates who meet the NEET PG qualifying criteria can register with KEA (fee ₹4,000) for private and other non-reserved seats, but cannot claim Karnataka reservation or government-quota seats.

What is the 371(J) Kalyana Karnataka reservation in PG counselling?

Article 371(J) gives local candidates from Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari and Vijayanagara districts reserved seats. KEA allots General Merit (GM) seats first and then checks the Kalyana Karnataka General Merit (GMH) quota. A valid 371(J) certificate is required.

What happens if two candidates have the same NEET PG score?

Under the NEET PG 2026 bulletin, the candidate with fewer wrong answers overall ranks higher; then fewer wrong answers in Sections A to E in order; then the higher aggregate MBBS percentage; and finally the older candidate.

What documents are needed for MD/MS counselling?

NEET PG admit card and scorecard, MBBS marks cards and degree certificate, internship completion certificate, medical council registration, date-of-birth proof, photo ID, photographs, category or 371(J) certificates if claimed, the allotment letter and fee receipt.

Verify before you act

Sources & official links

How we built this page

  • MCC fees and deposits: MCC NEET PG 2025 counselling, as reported by Sartha.
  • MCC round exit rules: MCC bulletin, as summarised by Careers360.
  • KEA fees, rounds and allotment order: KEA PG 2025 notice, as reported by Careers360.
  • Bond: KEA PG 2025 e-Information Bulletin, as reported by Medical Dialogues. Tie-break: NEET PG 2026 bulletin.
  • Facts checked on 21 October 2026. Where an official notice differs, the notice applies.
Counselling guidance

Starting MD/MS counselling this year?

Share your NEET PG rank and where you are in the process. Merit Admission helps you plan MCC and KEA together — registration, choice order, round decisions and reporting.

Book a Counselling Call

Our team will call you back with a plan for your rank.

Your enquiry goes to info@meritadmission.com. No seat guarantee — allotment is controlled by MCC and KEA.

Important: Counselling dates, fees, deposits, exit rules, reservation and bond terms can change every year. Figures on this page are from the 2025-26 cycle. Verify the current NBEMS, MCC and KEA notifications before paying, locking choices or reporting. Merit Admission provides counselling guidance and does not control seat allotment.

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